Dependency Ratio Ap Human Geography

AP Human Geography – Chapter 2: Population Geography

a model used in population geography that describes the ages and number of males and females within a given population; also called a population pyramid

Arithmetic Density

the number of people living in a given unit or area

baby boom

a cohort of individuals born in the US between 1946-1964, post-World War II in a time of relative peace and prosperity. these conditions allowed for better education and job opportunities, encouraging high rates of both marriage and fertility

baby bust

period of time during the 1960s and 70s when fertility rates in the US dropped as large numbers of women from the baby boom generation sought higher levels of education and more competitive jobs, causing them to marry later in life. as such, the fertility rate dropped considerably, in contrast to the baby boom.

carrying capacity

the maximum number of people that the environment of a particular area can sustainably support

Census Tract

small country subdivisions, usually containing between 2500-8000 persons, delineated by the US Census Bureau as areas of relatively uniform population characteristics, economic status, and living conditions

chain migration

the migration event in which individuals follow the migratory path of preceding friends or family members to an existing community

Child Mortality Rate

number of deaths/1000 children within the first five years of life

cohort

a population group unified by a specific common characteristic (ex: age) and subsequently treated as a statistical unit

Cotton Belt

the term by which the American South used to be known, as cotton historically dominated the agricultural economy of the region. now known as the New South/Sun Belt because people have migrated here from older cities in the industrial north for better climate and new job opportunities

crude birth rate

the number of live births per year/1000 people

crude death rate

the number of deaths per year/1000 people

demographic accounting sequence

an equation that summarizes the amount of growth/decline in a population within a country during a particular time period taking into account both natural increase and net migration

demographic transition model

a sequence of demographic changes in which a country moves from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates through time

demography

the study of human populations, including their temporal and spatial dynamics

dependency ratio

the ratio of the number of people who are either too old or young to provide for themselves to the number of people who must support them through their own labor. n:100 (n=number of dependents)

doubling time

time period required for a population experiencing exponential growth to double in size completely

emigration

the process of moving out of a particular country, usually the individual person’s country of origin

exponential growth

growth of a fixed percentage every year (compounded when applied to an ever-growing population)

forced migration

exactly what it says: migration in which individuals are forced to leave a country against their will (=involuntary migration)

Generation X

a term coined by artist and author Douglas Coupland to describe people born in the US between the years 1965-1980. this generation will have to support the baby boom cohort as they head into their retirement years

geodemography

a division of human geography concerned with spatial variations in distribution, composition, growth, and movements of population (=population geography)

immigration

the process of individuals moving into a new country with the intentions of remaining there

infant mortality rate

the percentage of children who die before their first birthday within a particular area or country

internal migration

the permanent or semi-permanent movement of individuals within a particular country

intervening obstacles

any forces/factors that may limit human migration

life expectancy

the average age individuals are expected to live, varying across space and between genders/race

Thomas Malthus

author of Essay on the Principle of Population (1798) who claimed that population grows at an exponential rate while food production increases arithmetically; therefore, population growth would eventually outpace food production

maternal mortality rate

number of deaths/1000 women giving birth

migration

a long-term move of a person from one political jurisdiction to another

natural increase rate

the difference between the number of births and number of deaths within a particular country

Neo-Malthusian

advocacy of population control programs to ensure enough resources for current/future populations

overpopulation

a value judgment based on the notion that the resources of a particular area are not great enough to support that area’s current population

physiologic density

a ratio of human population to the area of cropland, used in less developed countries dominated by subsistence agriculture

population density

a measurement of the number of persons per unit land area

population pyramid

a model used in population geography to show the age/sex distribution of a particular population

people who leave their home because they are forced out, but NOT because they are being officially relocated or enslaved

Rust Belt

the northern industrial states of the US, including Ohio/Michigan/Pennsylvania, in which heavy industry was once the dominant economic activity. in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, these states lost much of their economic base to economically attractive regions of the US and to countries where labor was cheaper, leaving old machinery to rust in the moist northern climate

Sun Belt

US region, mostly comprised of southeastern and southwestern states, which has grown dramatically since World War II

total fertility rate

the average number of children born to a woman during her childbearing years

voluntary migration

movement of an individual who consciously and voluntarily decides to relocate ( forced migration)

zero population growth

proposal to end population growth through a variety of official and nongovernmental family planning programs